


Ready Player Two

by KawaiiBoushi



Category: Persona 4
Genre: Gen, budding friendship, i need one million episodes of a buddy cop show starring naoto and chie, the ultimate brotp strikes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-20
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2018-04-27 06:32:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,151
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5037553
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KawaiiBoushi/pseuds/KawaiiBoushi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Chie keeps a fever-ridden Naoto company after school, and the two girls learn just how much they have in common.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ready Player Two

A loud knock at her apartment door woke Naoto up with a start. It took her a moment to get her bearings. She was laying on her couch under a heavy blanket, the credits for her favorite 007 movie rolling quietly on the TV. When she made to sit up, her head spun and she groaned, steadying herself against the arm of the couch. All the evidence pointed to an impromptu nap that she had not, unfortunately, woken up from any less sick than before.

“Com –” Naoto interrupted herself with a cough as she stood up. “I’m coming!”

It had only been at Kanji’s insistence – her cheeks were warm from fever, she told herself, it was only coincidence that they flushed when he started fretting over her – that Naoto finally agreed to stay home from school at the beginning of the week. For the past three days, he had been dutifully collecting homework and handouts for her and delivering them after school each afternoon, along with the best soup Naoto had ever tasted in her life. She was becoming increasingly frustrated and restless with each day spent lying about her apartment, but yesterday, Kanji – with what seemed like great effort – offered to keep her company. She wouldn’t have asked for it herself, but it was greatly appreciated, and she hoped he might stay today as well.

When she unlocked the door and pulled it open, however, Naoto found a much shorter friend standing in the threshold. “Oh! Good afternoon, Chie-senpai. I was expecting Kanji-kun.”

Chie shook her head. “He was gonna come by, but ended up having to go help his mom with something right after school, so I thought I’d volunteer.” Bouncing absently from one leg to the other, she smiled and asked, “So, how are you feeling? If you’re up for it, I was hoping I could stick around and we could work on our homework together.”

Naoto blinked once. “Why?” Then, remembering a certain talk Yu had given her about incorporating a bit more tact into her conversations, she hastily amended, “Ah, that is – um, is Yukiko-senpai unavailable today?”

“Man,” Chie responded with a laugh, “I know Yukiko and I might seem attached at the hip, but I do want to see my other friends too, y’know. I’ve actually been hoping for a chance to hang out with you sometime soon.” She frowned. “Well, not that I was hoping you’d get sick, but…you get what I mean.”

“Oh.” Naoto took a moment to process this. “Well, I – I suppose I would not be opposed to the company.” They both stood in the doorway for a moment before Naoto realized she should step back to make room for the older girl. “Ah – um, please, come in.”

Chie beamed, heading for the low table in the middle of the living area. “Awesome!” Slipping a backpack from her shoulders, she rummaged around in it for a moment before first pulling out two stacks of paper, then a large plastic container that was exuding a strange odor. “I cooked up some okayu for you since I didn’t know if you could eat much else right now. Oh, and I couldn’t remember what vitamins you need when you’re sick, so I just threw in some of every kind of supplement I could find in the kitchen.” She held the food – though Naoto was hesitant to call it that – out expectantly, looking proud of herself.

Naoto found herself seized by a sudden, conveniently-timed coughing fit as she made to take the food from Chie’s outstretched hands. “I appreciate that, Senpai, but I…I don’t think I could even stomach porridge right now. I’ll put it in the fridge for later.”

“Here, let me do that! You just sit down and get comfortable. Do you want something to drink, at least? Tea?” Naoto watched helplessly as she hurried into the kitchen. Settling in on the couch, she decided after a moment’s debate that the odds of Chie managing to poison her with tea were slim enough to risk it.

“That would be wonderful, thank you. I believe the kettle is already on the stovetop, and there are tea bags in a tin on the counter. If you enjoy chamomile, feel free to help yourself.” Naoto could only hope that ‘do not add anything besides a tea bag to the water’ went without saying.

After a few minutes, Chie returned holding two mugs of tea that appeared relatively harmless, and Naoto accepted one gratefully. She held it near her face as it steeped, feeling the slightest bit of relief from her chills. Out of her peripheral vision, she noticed that Chie had not yet started on her homework, and suddenly felt nervous. Was she waiting for her to initiate conversation? Naoto had not been prepared for small talk with any of her upperclassmen today.

“Um,” she started awkwardly. Then, unsure of what else to say, she asked, “Why did you want to see me?” 

Chie took a sip from her drink. “Well, with everything that happened last year, we didn’t really have much time to hang out, y’know? I mean, sure, we spent a lot of time together, but not like this. I thought you were really cool even before you even joined the team, and now that we’re friends, I wanna get to know you better.”

Naoto’s eyes widened and she looked down to hide the pink spreading across her cheeks. “Cool? M-me?”

“Well, yeah!” Chie said as if it were obvious. “I mean, you’re barely sixteen but you’re a real detective! That’s awesome! And you had that whole mysterious vibe going on when you first came to Inaba too.”

“W-well, I…” _Cool, awesome, mysterious._ Naoto couldn’t completely hold back her smile. “Th-thank you, I suppose.”

“And…” Chie paused, leg bouncing rapidly. “I think Yu-kun and Yukiko are the only ones I’ve told this, but I decided, after everything that happened last year, that I want to be a police officer. And that’s hard enough on its own, but being a girl too…well, I don’t have to tell you it’s not easy. So, yeah, I think it’s awesome that you do what you do. Even though it must be hard, and people try to tell you that you can’t, you do it anyway, and you’re really good at it. It’s kind of inspirational.”

Naoto’s entire face felt as if it were on fire, and her chest felt tight. Her, an inspiration? She had never thought of herself as anything special, not when anxiety constantly whispered in her ear and her own identity, her very _existence_ , was used to insult her. 

But…thinking back on this time last year – being discarded by the Inaba police force, feeling more alone and worthless than ever before, willing to throw away her own life for the sake of being acknowledged – Naoto allowed herself a moment to reflect on how far she’d come. She had friends who accepted her and cared about her for who she was, and it was thanks to them that she was beginning to do the same. Solving the case with their help had reminded her why she had chosen this path for her life; lit a new fire inside her when her passion felt snuffed out. She was fighting harder than ever to show the world she was strong and capable and that her gender was no hindrance. It wasn’t easy, just as Chie had said, but perhaps there really was something to be said for her pursuing this regardless of the obstacles in her way.

“Thank you, Senpai,” she finally managed. Clearing her throat, she looked up and hesitantly added, “If you ever need anything…I may not be affiliated with any particular police force, but I am well-versed in law and regulations and the like. I would be more than happy to help you study for the police academy, or offer any other assistance where I am able.”

Chie’s eyes lit up. “Would you really? Oh man, that would be a huge help. I mean, I need to focus on just graduating high school first, but you’re a life-saver. I’ve done some research already, and I can tell it’s not exactly gonna be a walk in the park. Hey, maybe I can give you kung fu lessons or something in exchange!”

That prompted a laugh from Naoto, followed by a loud sniffle. “I don’t know how skilled I would be at martial arts, but perhaps I can at least give it a try. An understanding of the basics, at least, could come in handy if I ever end up in a physical altercation during a case.”

“Yeah, totally! And there are a ton of techniques that are great for short–” Chie suddenly broke off with an awkward laugh. “For, uh, using an opponent’s size against them! Um, anyway!” She changed the subject with all the subtlety of a bull in a china shop. “I dunno what your plans are after high school – I know your job takes you all over sometimes, and I want to stay here in Inaba – but I hope we get a chance to work together someday. I think we’d be an awesome team.”

Naoto, for her part, wasn’t sure what she was going to do after high school either. She hadn’t even planned on attending in the first place, much less finishing it; but the longer she stayed in Inaba, the more attached she grew to it and its residents. She was beginning to long to call this place home for good, but something skittish inside of her kept her from fully committing to the idea, still fearful that everything she had built here would fall apart no matter how tightly she held onto it.

For the moment, though, the thought of staying in Inaba – having a home where friends would welcome her with open arms between cases – was tempting enough that she allowed herself to reply, “I look forward to the opportunity. Last year’s events proved that you have a strong sense of justice as well as a reliable intuition. I don’t doubt that, with your drive, you’ll earn a spot amongst Inaba’s finest.”

“Aw, come on.” It was Chie’s turn to blush, waving a dismissive hand. “Compared to you, or Yu-kun – or even Yosuke – I didn’t do that much to help. I just kicked a bunch of Shadows.”

“On the contrary,” Naoto countered, “your hunches proved to be invaluable in furthering the investigation quite a few times. Good instincts often lead to breaks in cases when all other resources have been exhausted.”

Rubbing at the back of her neck, Chie grinned. “Well, coming from you, that means a lot, Naoto-kun. Thanks.”

“Of course, Senpai.” Giving a soft smile, Naoto inclined her head towards the still-untouched papers on the coffee table. “Perhaps, however, it would be best to continue our discussion while we work. As you said, you do need to complete high school before worrying about any further education.”

“Oh, right, that’s kinda why I’m here in the first place,” Chie laughed. “We should get started, huh?”

They lapsed into casual conversation as their pencils scratched against sheets of homework. Chie had more questions about Naoto’s work than she had been expecting, but she was happy to answer them. She still wasn’t quite used to people taking a genuine interest in her in this manner, but it was a feeling she was coming to enjoy. Naoto tried to pull her weight in the conversation as well, asking about Chie’s training and other hobbies – maybe she was starting to get the hang of this small talk thing after all. 

After about twenty minutes, during a comfortable lull in their chatter, Naoto noticed that Chie seemed to have stopped paying attention to her work. Pencil tapping out a fast-paced rhythm against the table, she was staring off into space, brow creased as she hummed along with the tempo. Before Naoto could comment, however, the older girl seemed to snap out of it and looked around. “Where’s that music coming from…?” Chie asked, though the question didn’t necessarily seem to be directed at her.

It did, however, remind Naoto that she hadn’t removed the DVD from the player or turned the television off after her movie. Now that she was listening for it, she could hear the theme song playing faintly on the other side of the room, and Chie noticed it at the same time she did.

“Oh, dude!” She turned her head back towards Naoto, excitement on her face. “I love this movie! Are you a Bond fan too?”

Naoto blushed a little, giving a small cough. “Ah, yes…they may be a bit larger-than-life, but I do quite enjoy the books, and the movie adaptions are generally very good.” A far-fetched as some of the stories were, and as unrealistic as many of their inventions would be, she couldn’t help herself from getting excited by the series’ mystery and action regardless.

“Do you have any of the other ones?” Chie asked, shifting to sit on her knees, poised to jump to her feet.

“I…yes,” Naoto answered, refraining from adding that she owned the most recent collector’s edition DVD set. “But, Senpai, if you intend to start a movie now, we still haven’t finished our homework, you know.”

“Hey, a little break never hurt anyone! None of this stuff is due for a couple days anyway.” Standing up and stretching, Chie crossed the room to where the TV sat against the wall. “Or we can just put one on as background noise or something. Ooh, but we should totally have a marathon this weekend!”

Before Naoto could tell Chie that, while that sounded like a perfectly nice idea, she would rather they get their homework out of the way before starting anything else (aside from being the responsible choice, she didn’t want to have any distractions if they were going to watch one of her favorites), she had grabbed the handle of the cabinet next to the TV. 

“Do you keep your movies in –?”

Naoto jumped to her feet, eyes widening. “No, no, no, Senpai, don’t open that –”

Too late. The cabinet door flew open with an unceremonious bang. For a long minute, Naoto watched in silent horror as Chie took in its contents. Finally, the older girl looked over her shoulder, something like awe in her eyes. 

“Dude,” she breathed, almost reverently. “You actually have the third Featherman game? That one’s, like, impossible to find!”

“Please don’t touch the one on the top shelf,” Naoto begged before she could stop herself. “It's mint condition.” She had one more that would never leave the secret vault in her room, of course, but she’d found this copy in a nearby toy store during her downtime on a recent case and had nearly had a heart attack when she saw how little the shopkeeper was charging for it. She hadn’t been able, in good conscience, to allow the poor man to sell it to her so cheaply, but she still got an incredible bargain, and left him with a lecture on properly researching the value of his inventory. “I only play with the caseless one.”

Chie’s eyes widened. “What, you mean you have _more than one?_ No way!” She turned back to gaze into the cabinet. “I didn’t even know you were into games, Naoto-kun! You’ve got a great collection here!”

For the time being, Naoto opted not to inform Chie that most of her games were still at the estate, and that when she made the decision to remain in Inaba for high school, she had Grandpa ship her only the ones that she thought she would play most often.

“I…” Denial would be pointless now that Chie had seen the evidence, so she rubbed her arm self-consciously and confessed, “In my spare time, I do…indulge in video games.” 

“Hey, why does that sound like an apology?” Chie closed the cabinet carefully. “I think it’s awesome, I don’t have any other friends that are into these kinds of games.”

Naoto looked away. She’d had more than a mere casual interest in the hobby since childhood, but it was one of many things she had always felt ashamed of never growing out of. Even now, it was hard to let go of certain perceptions – and hard to trust that there were people out there who didn’t share those perceptions. “I…I’ve never had friends that were interested in games either,” she eventually replied.

“Well, now you do,” Chie said firmly. “Do you wanna play something today?” When Naoto hesitated, she added, “After we finish our homework, I mean, don’t worry! And if you’d rather rest, that’s fine too. Maybe another time, though? Yukiko plays with me sometimes but it’s obvious she’s not that into it, and Yosuke and I get bored playing together because I always beat him. But _you_ , Naoto-kun,” she said excitedly. “Going off your collection, I’d guess you have a real appreciation for the fine art of gaming. I bet we’d have a lot of fun going head-to-head.”

“Oh, it – it isn’t that I wouldn’t want to, I just…” Naoto trailed off. Truth be told, she was faintly excited at the prospect of having someone to play with. “I only have one controller per console, and the majority of my games are single-player.” The fact that she hadn’t already shut Chie down was both scary and reassuring – she had begun to feel a certain camaraderie with the older girl, and though it went against every instinct she’d built up over the years, she was slowly allowing her friends to get closer to her. That was a good thing, as terrifying as it may feel, she reminded herself.

“I don’t mind running home to grab some stuff if we need to!” Chie was bouncing again. Naoto wondered if she ever got tired. “Or we can just take turns on some of these platformers…oh, but maybe it’s not a good idea to share a controller while you’re sick, huh? Well, we can get to those another time. But I could totally go get another one, and I have a bunch of fighting games if you’re into those.”

After a moment’s hesitation, something mischievous prompted Naoto to give a deceptively nonchalant shrug. “I don’t play them very often, but I…” She cleared her throat, which devolved into a short coughing fit, but quickly regained her composure. “As I believe the saying goes, I will gladly kick your rear end.”

Chie burst into a loud, Yukiko-esque fit of laughter. She covered her mouth to stifle it but couldn’t hide the amusement in her eyes. “Oh, man. We’ll…we’ll work on your trash talk, but I give you an A for effort.” Putting her fists up in a mock fighting stance, she grinned. “Bring it on, Naoto-kun.”

**Author's Note:**

> I realized that I've never really written any of the IT besides the underclassmen? But I love Naoto/Chie brotp with all my heart? And there's, like, no works for them? So I hope this satisfies anyone else thirsty for some buddy cops and/or creates some new fans.


End file.
